This resource center was updated on February 23, 2026.
Becoming a COO
Frequently Asked Questions: Becoming a COO
Answers to some common questions from people considering and seeking chief operating officer positions at nonprofit organizations.
Finding the Right COO Position
The key to success in a job search is finding the right fit between your skills, interests, and disposition on the one hand, and the characteristics of the potential organization, role, and leadership team on the other. Because of the tremendous variety in role definition across COO positions, finding the right fit can be particularly challenging and important for COO candidates.
Being a COO
How COOs Keep Their Nonprofits Running Smoothly
The Bridgespan Group took a fresh look at what nonprofit chief operating officers (COOs) do and found that they play three vital behind-the-scenes roles beyond their functional responsibilities. We also identified a few important ways to help COOs succeed.
Four Conversations to Strengthen CEO-COO Partnerships
Honest dialogue fuels the nonprofit CEO–CEO relationship. The questions in this resource and the conversations they inspire can help CEOs and COOs form trusting partnerships that help build alignment and sustain organizations through change.
Nonprofit COOs: Where to Turn to for Support
Nonprofit chief operating officer (COO) roles vary widely, and so do the resources they use to gain advice. The key to finding support is in tapping a variety of resources and choosing the ones that work best for the individual COO.
From Second in Command to Chief Executive: How Big a Leap?
Many experienced chief operating officers of nonprofit organizations aspire to become chief executive officers or executive directors. That said, these individuals are in a better position than most candidates to see that the top job has challenges of its own and that the two positions are very different.
Hiring a COO
Frequently Asked Questions: Hiring a COO
What is a chief operating officer (COO)? What do nonprofit COOs do? How can I tell whether my organization needs a COO? What advice do you have for organizations designing or restructuring a COO position? For organizations recruiting and selecting a COO? Answers to some common questions from organizations at various points in the search process.
Creating the COO Position
While there is great variety in how nonprofit organizations structure and use the position of chief operating officer, there are a few key factors and events that drive nonprofit organizations to consider adding it. In this article, COOs and EDs shared their experiences working in organizations that recognized the need for a COO, faced doubts and concerns about the position, and worked through challenges to successfully bring in a COO.
Finding the Right COO for Your Organization
Because the profile of the ideal nonprofit chief operating officer varies so widely, the key to finding the right person is to consider what qualities, skills, and experience will provide a good fit with the needs of your organization. Whether hiring for a newly created COO position or filling an existing position, each organization must chart its own course. However, through our research and our talent-matching work, we have found some practices that seem to increase the chances of finding the right person.
COO Roles and Structures: Stories from the Field
The most salient characteristic of the chief operating officer (COO) job seems to be its variety. Chief operating office roles, and the organizational structures in which COOs operate, are highly varied across organizations and even within a single organization over time. This diversity is evident in excerpts from Bridgespan’s interviews with COOs.
Chief Operating Officer (Strategy/Operations) Sample Job Description
The chief operating officer role described in this sample job description has overall strategic and operational responsibility for all programs. In addition, the individual in this role also manages a group of program directors and work with the nonprofit's board of directors to keep them abreast of programmatic changes.
Chief Financial and Operating Officer (Finance/Administration)
The chief financial and operating officer role described in this sample job description oversees the functions that support the programs but do not relate directly to program participants.
Chief Operating Office (Generalist) Sample Job Description
This sample job description is for the generalist nonprofit chief operating officer who oversees all internal functions. This nonprofit COO oversees everything internal, freeing up the ED to focus on external matters such as fundraising, public relations, and partnerships.
